Changing Core Beliefs

Easier to accomplish than you might think

Changing core beliefs can sound like a daunting task if it's a way of thinking that you've had for a long time. But it isn't really.

If you've just come from reading my article, "Why do these things keep happening to me? How your thoughts create your reality",
you've probably come to the realization that you have some core beliefs
that may be causing you to constantly seek approval from others and are
basically hindering you from achieving what you really want. You're not
alone. We all have some deep thought processes that we eventually
realize are no longer relevant to our current lives.

Here are 5 strategies on how to change your old core beliefs:

1. Changing Core Beliefs - Make Sure You Have The Right One

Sometimes, the core belief you think you have isn't really the one
that's causing the problems. For example, you might think you're a
really positive person but in reality what you're saying to yourself and
those around you could be quite negative.

One way to really determine what your true core belief is to
notice what you say to yourself during times of great stress. Do you
say, "See, I'm unlovable", or "See, I can't do this". That's the core
belief you need to change.

Also, look at the world around you. What is happening? Are there any patterns you see? For example:

Do all your relationships fail?

Are you in constant debt?

Do people never have time for you?

Once you see the pattern, then ask yourself what you think about
that issue. Maybe, "Money is a struggle", "I'm not good with people" or
"I'm not important".

Listen to yourself.
Once you figure it out, then turn it around. Ask yourself:

What do I want?

What would I have to believe in order to have this?

Next, you're going to re-program yourself.

2. Awareness

Once you've completed Step 1, then awareness is the next step to changing core beliefs.
Simply observe how you behave and you'll soon see the results
that you're creating for yourself. Changing those old patterns becomes
much easier when you see it's been due to how you were thinking,
reacting, and behaving. Sometimes, just the sudden understanding of why
you react the way you do is enough to let go of old thought processes.
If simply being aware of what your core belief is isn't enough
then whenever you have the thought say, "Cancel" to yourself. Cancel
that thought. It's no longer true for you. As soon as you think that
thought, release it, and think of your new belief. It could be
something like, "I am capable of doing anything I put my mind to."
It's a matter of being aware of when you have your old thought and replacing it with your new one.
If you can, also be aware of what triggers your old thought.
Remember, these old beliefs were originally created to keep you safe.
You no longer need them to do that for you.
One other thing to remember is that nothing has any meaning until
you give it a meaning. You are the only one who gives meaning to
anything and everything in your life. You have the power to put a new
meaning on some aspect of your life. This will change your life because
you're seeing it in a completely new way.

3. Use a Mirror

If you have a core belief like "I'm unlovable" or "I don't deserve
anything" then a very effective way of working on re-programming this
core belief is to use a mirror. Look at yourself in the mirror and say
something like, "I am lovable, I am completely and wonderfully lovable."
Smile at yourself while you're saying it. If you feel like you don't deserve money, you could try writing yourself a cheque and hand it to yourself in the mirror. At
first, you may not even be able to look at yourself in the eye and it
may feel really, really uncomfortable. Keep trying. Every time you do
it, it will get easier and each time, your subconscious begins to
believe it a little bit more. For some people, changing core beliefs
like this happens quickly and for others, sometimes it can take a few
months. It does work though. One other mirror affirmation
to try is what a man called Emile Coue suggests. Emile Coue stated back
in the early 1900's that if you looked in a mirror, three times a day,
and said to yourself three times, "Every day, and in every way, I am
getting better and better", that your life would dramatically change for
the better. As he says, "Our subconscious is entirely reprogrammable
by this simple positive sentence." It puts your imagination into gear
and it starts your subconscious believing that things really will go
better and then because you have this belief, your life just naturally
does get better and better. There's numerous testimonials that it does
work. Give it a try, it's easy to do and the words are easy to
remember. The added benefit of doing this is it'll put you in a good
mood.

4. Learn From Others

Discover who you know with the core belief you want and then hang out
with them. How do they think? What do they tell themselves? What do
they believe? You can then say the same things to yourself.
For example, if you want to have a healthy relationship, you need
to believe what will get you that. "My relationships are healthy and
based upon mutual respect." Think exactly like the person who already
has that.
The goal isn't to just copy them or pretend to be that person,
it's more about learning from the experts, listening to new ideas,
seeing new ways of thinking and then working to incorporate those ideas
into your own beliefs. You'll still be you but you will have grown your
mind to include this new thought process.
If you don't know anyone then find a book (could be self help or
an autobiography or even just one with strong characters) or a movie or
tv show or an online forum, anywhere, where the thought process you want
is discussed or used.

5. Keep Doing It Until You've Got a New Core Belief

At first when you're working on changing core beliefs, you may find
it hard to believe your new thought. You might say to yourself, "I'm so
very lovable" but that voice in the back of your head keeps saying,
"Yeah, right" Remember that it's your past experiences
which have provided you with this core belief. Many times, it was
created in order to keep you safe and to protect yourself from more pain
and suffering. Know that this isn't true. You're safe without that
old thought. It doesn't serve you anymore and you can change it. Here's another suggestion from Tony Robbins,

"All
personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs. So how do we
change? The most effective way is to get your brain to associate massive
pain to the old belief. You must feel deep in your gut that not only
has this belief cost you pain in the past, but it's costing you in the
present and, ultimately, can only bring you pain in the future.Then you
must associate tremendous pleasure to the idea of adopting a new,
empowering belief."

Keep working on
changing those old, outdated beliefs. It might happen within days or it
might take months. No matter how long it takes, you're worth it and
you're worth taking the time and effort to create the new core belief
which will allow you to reach your goals.

Additional Resources

Some tools I think might be useful to you when you're working on changing core beliefs are: